Chuck vs The White Star
by LaylaBinx
Summary: Chuck comes face to face with a very dangerous man from his past. Mentions of drug and child abuse so if that offends you please don't read. Chuck/Casey eventually :D Shameless fluff also!
1. Reunion

**Okay, quick note before we begin: I wrote this story baout a month before Chuck's real dad showed up in the series so I had no idea he was a really great guy O.o Seriously, I remember seeing Scott Bakula for the first time and going "of course...of course Chuck's dad is the coolest, most awesome dad in the world...dammit!" And that's exactly how that conversation in my head went lol. But anyway, I digress :P This is one of my darker fics so I hope you guys like it! :D**

**I own nothing! Except Marcus and I really don't want him...any takers?**

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Chuck squeezed the bridge of hi nose between his thumb and index finger, trying desperately to ward off the headache that was becoming more and more apparent with each passing second. He sighed heavily into the sleeve of his shirt, propping himself on one elbow on top of the desk and adjusting the phone so it sat more comfortably against his shoulder.

"No sir, I'm not sighing at you." He lied to the increasingly irritated voice on the other end of the line. For the past hour, the same man had called every five minutes about some new problem he was facing with his laptop and Chuck was stuck taking the blunt force of his frustration. All attempts to send a Nerd Herd member to the man's house to fix the problem had been shot down, the man insisting he could do it himself even though it was painfully obvious he was completely technologically inept.

"Well, I just don't see why I have to download the installation software in order to use some of these programs." The man snapped irritably, the sound of an installation CD being slammed onto a table top rattling through the phone.

"It's just standard procedure sir." Chuck explained in the most helpful voice he could manage. Seriously, how stupid could this guy be?

There was a discontent little chirp over the receiver and the man returned to the call with a vengeance. "Well now its saying the CD is wrong! What kind of second-rate junk do you sell at that store anyway?"

"Sir, the disk is double-sided. Flip it over and let the computer read it again."

The man mumbled something rather nasty under his breath and went back to fumbling with the CD. Chuck listened with less than half-interest, his eyes wandering across the store blankly. They came to a stop at the bright green shirt stretched across Casey's broad shoulders. The older man had his back to him, his hands gesturing vaguely as he explained the difference between two different video cameras to a young couple holding hands. Chuck smiled faintly to himself, remembering the first night he'd stayed at the agent's apartment. He had been relatively certain for a while that Casey hated him but that night had completely changed his perspective of the other man. However, Chuck knew better than to ever bring up Casey's softer side knowing full well the agent could beat him to death with his own spinal cord if the occasion ever presented itself.

Sensing he was being watched, Casey glanced over his shoulder, his dark eyes locking it Chuck's. He flashed him the faintest hint of a smile and turned back the couple, knowing the look had done its job.

Almost immediately, Chuck felt his face heat up in a blush and he looked down quickly, wondering why exactly that simple smile had caused him to react that way. One look was all it had taken but for some reason Chuck felt his stomach fill with hyperactive butterflies that refused to settle down. The satisfied chime of a complete installation echoing over the phone managed to drag him back to reality.

"Well, it worked. Thanks." The man muttered grudgingly before he hung up. Chuck let out a slow breath and once again set down the receiver, knowing he would very well pick up again soon. He glanced back over in Casey direction but saw that the other man had already disappeared somewhere in the store.

"Hey buddy!" A cheerful voice greeted from behind him just as Morgan slid onto the counter. "Still dealing with the customer from Hell?"

"So help me, the next time I get stuck on phone duty I'm going to hang myself with the cord." Chuck groaned, covering his face with his hands and dragging his fingers through his curly, dark hair. "Every step, every screen saver is like Apocalypse to this guy." He shook his head and looked at Morgan incredulously as his best friend tried to stifle a snicker. "I swear if he-" He never got a chance to finish as the phone rang yet again.

Morgan's poorly controlled composure crumbled as Chuck glared murderously at the offending piece of technology. Plastering on a smile as fake as his enthusiasm, Chuck snatched the phone off the cradle and pressed it to his ear, already aware of who the caller was. "Nerd Herd, you break it we take it." He rolled his eyes as the all too familiar voice began to snap and snarl on the other line. "No sir, that was not a joke at your expense."

Morgan flashed him a thumbs up and slid off the counter, walking over to help and attractive female customer who was browsing through the stereo section.

Chuck sighed and shifted his weight onto one hip, folding a piece of scrap paper into a football absently. "Well sir, are you sure your printer is properly connected to your laptop?" He listened for a minute and shook his head. "Sir, we've gone through this before: I can't see the cables that are connected to your laptop through the phone. I need you to describe them to me." There was another pause and Chuck resisted the urge to bite through his bottom lip. "Yes sir, I realize they're both grey, but the thinner cable is the one you need to use to hook up your printer." The football bounced across the desktop and tumbled into an empty coffee cup propped next to the trashcan. Without much enthusiasm, Chuck raised his arms above his head to signal the goal. "No sir, I never said I thought you were an idiot…Okay, so the printer is connected? Good."

There was a series of curses so loud the computer tech had to hold the phone away from his ear. After a second, he pulled it back down an tried to get a word in as far as advice.

"Okay, sir? Sir! That message simply means your ink cartridge is low; you just need a replacement." He clenched a loose fist as his hip in irritation and let it go. "Sir, I understand that you're holding the cartridge but the laws of physics and distance prevent me from being able to see what kind of cartridge it is. You have to tell me."

"Well, what am I supposed to tell you?" The man snapped angrily. "The number? The color? I'm holding it right here!" There was a soft click followed by a heavy silence on the other end of the line.

"Sir?" Chuck sighed heavily and covered his eyes with his free hand. "Sir, for the last time I can't see the cartridge. I can't see you!"

"Oh, but I can see you." A deep male voice rasped over the line.

Chuck felt an icy chill shoot through his body in recognition of the voice and his hand slowly fell away from his eyes. The world seemed to fall into slow motion and he unconsciously gripped the phone tighter. "Who is this…?" He demanded nervously though he already knew exactly who it was.

"Oh, I'm hurt." The man mocked, a humorless chuckle vibrating through the receiver. "Pretending you don't know who I am? Now that's almost insulting." The voice laughed again, a chilling, forced sound. "Is that anyway to talk to someone you haven't seen in, oh I don't know, sixteen years?" The accusation was sharp and angry and it took every ounce of self control Chuck possessed to keep himself from jumping at the sheer acidity that seemed to leak through the phone.

"W-Why did you call me…?" He asked hesitantly, slinking back away from the counter and using it as a very ineffective barrier between he and the caller.

"Just decided to stop by and see how you were." The man answered innocently, the cold smile radiating through his words. "Is there any crime in that?"

Chuck laughed nervously, his throat dry. "With you, yeah. In some states its even considered a felony." Something even more terrifying tugged at the back of Chuck's mind and he felt his palms begin to sweat. "Where are you…?"

"Ahh, now that's a good question." The man laughed once in a sharp, clipped tone. "Maybe I'm at the apartment you and your sister share, or maybe I'm down the street having a chat with your pretty little girlfriend." There was a pause so heavy Chuck had to catch his breath. "Or maybe, just maybe, I'm standing inside the Buy More, staring at you as we speak."

Chuck's breath hitched in his throat and he stiffened instantly, gripping the phone so tightly he could hear the plastic creaking against the pressure.

"I'll give you a hint." The caller offered, the helpfulness in his voice so fake it was nearly transparent. "You misspelled the word 'plasma.'"

The young man's eyes widened and he immediately snapped his attention to the home theater section. It had been a stupid joke on Lester's part to add and rearrange the letters in 'plasma' to read 'please-ma' on one of the large display signs and see how many people mentioned it by the end of the month. However, that single misspelled word only succeeded in doubling the dread that Chuck had been gathering in his stomach.

Standing in the middle of the aisle with a cold, malicious smirk plastered across his face, was the man on the phone. Everything about the man was grey, from his suit to his graying dark hair, even to his slate colored eyes that were currently hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses. Even though Chuck couldn't see his eyes, he knew the man had just winked at him.

Almost instantly, a series of memories flashed through his mind, blinding him temporarily. However, these were nothing like the normal flashes he experienced. These memories were splattered with blood and echoed with screams of pain and anguish that would haunt him until the day he died.

The man in grey smirked again, acknowledging the fact that the younger man had indeed seen him. With laugh that was anything but humorous, the man gave a small wave and turned on his heel to leave. "See you soon, Chuck." He promised before he hung up and disappeared into the crowd.

For a long time, the only thing Chuck could do was stand and stare blankly at the spot where the man had been. He felt the phone tumble numbly from his fingers and clatter to the desk. He was vaguely aware that someone was calling his name but he didn't have the attention or the willpower to respond. It wasn't until a hand clamped down on his shoulder that Chuck whipped around fast enough to lose his balance and stumble back against the desk.

"Hey buddy, Big Mike wanted to know if-" Morgan stopped mid-sentence, his eyebrows raising in concern. "Chuck, man, are you okay? Dude, you look like you've just seen a ghost…"

Chuck opened his mouth to say something but the words froze in his throat. His hands were trembling at his sides and a cold, sick feeling gnawed ravenously at the pit of his stomach making him feel like he was about to pass out. He knows where I am…He knows where I am…The thought swirled around in his head like a whirlwind, panic and long-forgotten memories threatening to overwhelm him right there.

Morgan frowned and moved forward a little, placing a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Chuck? Talk to me buddy, what's going on?"

Chuck looked at his best friend, desperately wanting to answer him but completely unable to. Instead, he shook his head weakly, thick bile clinging to the back of his throat. "Morgan…I-I'm sorry…" He stammered, pushing past the shorter employee in a haste.

He moved out from behind the desk, ignoring the constantly ringing phone, and walked quickly to the back of the store. He glanced over his shoulder as he passed the home theater section, expecting to see the man again at any second. Morgan rushed along behind him, calling his name and asking what was wrong but Chuck didn't answer. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't tell Morgan who had been in the store; hell, he wasn't even sure he could tell Casey or Sarah about the man in grey. Another wave of panic surged through him and he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the painful memories that continued to assault him.

Chuck pushed open the doors to the employee restroom and stumbled inside, gripping the sink with both hands to keep himself from collapsing. Morgan appeared seconds later, slightly out of breath with a mixture of confusion and concern painted across his face.

"Chuck, what's wrong?" He asked for about the 25th time in about two minutes. He hung by the door frame, watching his best friend carefully, and trying to catch his breath. It was hard to keep up when Chuck decided to speed walk.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Chuck moaned into his sleeve, hiding his face and leaning over the sink to steady himself.

Morgan's eyes widened and he nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright, man." He said, patting his friend on the back gently. "You stay here, I'm going to go get you some water, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer as he turned out of the restroom and headed down the hall to the water cooler. He filled a cup with cold water and stood quickly, turning and running face first into John Casey.

The water splashed all over the green Buy More shirt and soaked to the skin almost instantly. Casey growled low in his throat, one fist clenching into a tight ball at his side, but Morgan ignored him. Normally, he would have been terrified of the older man but right now he had more important things on his mind.

"Sorry Casey," Morgan apologized absently, refilling the cup and turning back in the direction of the restroom. "You can growl and snarl at me all you want later but Chuck's sick and I don't really have time for it right now." Morgan expected some kind of condescending remark but was somewhat surprised to see something that looked remarkably like concern flash across the older employee's eyes.

"What do you mean he's sick?" Casey demanded, his eyes locked onto Morgan's.

"I-I don't know, man." Morgan stuttered nervously, moving the water cup from one hand to the other. "One minute he was on the phone and the next he's pale as a sheet and looks like he's going to be sick all over the customer service desk."

"Where is he?"

Morgan wasn't entirely sure why Casey was suddenly showing such interest in his best friend but he knew better than to stall any longer. Taking the lead, he walked back down the hall to the restroom and pushed the door open to find his best friend still clinging to the sink like a lifeline.

Casey pushed past Morgan and crouched so he was eye level with Chuck. "Chuck, what happened?" He demanded, glancing over to Morgan and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Did you flash on something?"

"He was here…He was here…" The words came out as a whisper and Casey reacted quickly as Chuck lost his balance and collapsed to his knees on the floor.

"Easy kiddo." The agent soothed, cradling the younger man close so he wouldn't fall completely. He could feel Chuck's body trembling violently against him and realized with a sickening feeling that the kid was dangerously close to going into shock.

"Oh God…Oh God…" Morgan stammered from behind them, gripping the door frame tightly. "I can't lose my best friend…Is he going to die? Should I call an ambulance? Should I call Ellie? I think I know CPR if he-"

"Morgan!" Casey snapped, effectively shutting up the rambling employee. "Chuck is going to be fine. Go tell Big Mike that I'm taking him home, alright?"

Morgan nodded shakily and turned to leave, glancing back over his shoulder worriedly before he disappeared into the hall again.

Satisfied that they were alone, Casey locked the door and turned back to Chuck. "Okay, Chuck, who did you see? Was is another agent? A spy?"

Chuck shook his head weakly and wrapped his arms around his torso, leaning forward a little more so his forehead was resting against Casey's shoulder. "I saw him…"

"Who? Saw who?" Upon still receiving no answer, Casey growled in frustration and took the younger man's face in his hands, forcing him to look at him. "Look kid, I'm here to protect you and I want to help but that's nearly impossible for me to do if you don't tell me what's going on." His thumb brushed across Chuck's cheekbone gently and he looked at him with pleading eyes. "Now who was here?"

Chuck looked up slowly with a look in his tear-filled, haunted eyes that shook the older agent to his very core. In a voice that was barely above a whisper came the words, "My father…"

**

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****Hope you guys liked it! :D**


	2. Secret

**Aww, this is about to get sad :( Just thought I'd warn everyone!**

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The ride home was awkward and silent, neither man mentioning anything about what had happened back in the store. Casey had called Sarah to fill her in on the details but changed his mind halfway through the call and decided it would be easier and safer to explain face to face. Sarah, in return, promised to be over as soon as she could and borderline threatened Casey not to let Chuck out of his sight until she got there.

The agent smirked humorlessly at the request as he hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He was about half a second away from tethering the computer tech to himself with a chain so "keeping an eye on him" wouldn't be a problem. Casey glanced over to the passenger seat and tried to think of some kind of comfort or reassurance he could offer the younger man but came up with nothing. At a loss for words, he simply reached over and placed his hand on Chuck's shoulder, hoping he understood the meaning.

Chuck looked over with the same haunted, hollow eyes he'd had at the Buy More. He offered Casey a weak, forced smile that didn't reach his eyes and absently touched the older man's fingers, turning back to stare blankly out the window.

Casey's frown deepened and he focused his attention back on the road. Seeing Chuck like this bothered him and he wasn't entirely sure why. After everything he had been exposed to, every spy, assassin, terrorist threat, even discovering Bryce was still alive didn't have this much of an effect on Chuck. Something about this kid's father had shaken him badly and Casey was determined to figure out what.

For the first time since he'd moved in, Casey's apartment had a "lived-in" feeling that was completely Chuck's fault. A few articles of clothing lay scattered across the floor under the laundry basket in the hall and there was a small stack of dishes in the sink. The house wasn't completely spotless but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable either. For some reason it felt safe and permanent, not a place that could be abandoned and forgotten in the blink of an eye; another side effect of Chuck.

Casey scoured the house down to the electrical sockets for any kind of camera or microphone that might have been planted without his knowledge. Upon finding nothing, he deemed it safe to drag Chuck, who had been standing rigidly in the hallway closet, into the living room. However, upon opening the closet door, Casey immediately tumbled backward as Chuck all but flung himself into the older man's arms.

The agent landed heavily on one hip, wincing as the cell phone dug painfully into his skin through the fabric of his jeans. The initial shock subsided almost instantly and Casey was on his feet, gun drawn and standing in front of Chuck protectively. He rifled through the closet and, upon finding nothing more than a rain coat and a broken vacuum cleaner, sighed and tucked the gun into its holster again.

"Christ Bartowski!" He snapped angrily, the previous panic making him a little sharper than he meant to be. Sighing, Casey scooped his hands under Chuck's arms and pulled the younger man off the floor in one fluid motion. "What the hell has gotten into you?!"

Chuck didn't answer however; he was too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

Casey's previous irritation disappeared almost instantly as he realized what was going on. Chuck was breathing raggedly, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps that didn't seem to be filling his lungs at all. He gripped his chest tightly, trying desperately to take a deep enough breath but unable to do so. Casey's eyes widened and he gripped Chuck by the shoulders, ducking his head a little so he was in the younger man's line of vision.

"Chuck, listen to me." He began quietly, keeping his voice soft and soothing. "You have to take a deep breath, okay? You're going to pass out if you don't. Do you understand?"

Chuck nodded weakly, his fists tangling in the sleeves of Casey's shirt as he clung to him like a lifeline. Very slowly, with much more effort than he deemed absolutely necessary, Chuck managed to take a deep, shuddering breath, his grip never loosening.

Seizing the momentary reprieve, Casey wrapped an arm around Chuck's shoulders and half-dragged, half-carried him to the couch. He placed the younger man on the edge of a couch cushion and took a seat behind him. Gently, Casey pulled Chuck back so that the younger man's back was pressed against his chest, leaving him in a more reclined position. The contact alone seemed to help because Chuck's breathing slowly began to get deeper and more even as the minutes passed.

"There you go, kiddo, in and out." Casey encouraged, rubbing Chuck's arm comfortingly. He breathed deeply against his back, letting Chuck feel the movement as he did. "Slow, deep breaths. That's it."

A few more minutes passed and finally Chuck was able to breathe normally. He sat up a little, reluctant to break the contact but realizing that breathing was much easier if he was sitting upright. He face was pale, covered in a light sheen of sweat that made him shiver.

Casey sat up straighter behind him and moved to the side, glancing at Chuck from the corner of his eye. He waited for him to speak but, after a few more silent moments, was disappointed. "So," He began, trying to keep his voice as even and non-demanding as he could make it. "You want to tell me what just happened?"

The younger man didn't answer right away, his eyes staring off blankly at the wall ahead. "I'm sorry…" He whispered softly, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

Casey sighed heavily and shook his head. "Listen," He began, trying not to clench his teeth as he spoke. He wasn't angry with Chuck but the computer tech's terrified behavior was making him nervous, one emotion he wasn't all that fond of. "Sarah and I are here to protect you, but in order to do that you have to talk to us. Got it?"

Chuck shifted uncomfortably and blinked back tears, looking up toward the ceiling to prevent them from falling. "Casey…I-" He was cut off by a knock at the door followed by a very concerned female voice.

"Casey? Open the door, it's Sarah!" The other agent called from outside the door, her fingernails tapping anxiously against the wood.

Casey sighed in a mixture of relief and irritation and stood up, walking over to the door and opening it. He snagged Sarah by the arm before she could rush into the living room and dragged her into the kitchen, blocking the door with his body.

Sarah was still dressed in her work uniform, her blond hair tied in a low braid down her back. "What is going on?!" She demanded in a harsh whisper, looking over Casey's shoulder toward the living room. "You called and said "something's wrong with Chuck" and then hung up before I could ask what. Do you know how much I want to shoot you right now?"

Even though she was a good foot shorter than him and looked about half her age in her orange and white work uniform, Casey was relatively certain Sarah could take him in a fair fight when given the right initiative. "You can shoot me all you want later. Right now we have bigger problems."

"Such as?" Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one hip, looking every bit like a pissed off Bratz doll.

Casey glanced back over his shoulder into the living room and lowered his voice, leaning closer to the CIA agent. "Kid said he saw his father at the Buy More earlier." He answered quietly, unconsciously scanning the room as if expecting someone else to be listening.

Sarah frowned, the anger in her face fading into confusion. "His father? But Chuck's never mentioned anything about his father."

"Yeah, well there's probably a reason for that. He nearly threw up at the store and damn near hyperventilated a few minutes before you got here."

"Do you think this has anything to do with the break-in the other night?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"I don't know but it seems like too much of coincidence to ignore."

Sarah nodded and pulled the rubber band out of her hair, sweeping it over her shoulder and unbraiding it. "We can do some research later. Let's go check on him."

The two agents walked back into the living room, trying to think of anyway to approach the situation. Sarah took a seat next to Chuck on the couch and Casey stood on the other side protectively, his arms crossed nonchalantly over his chest.

Chuck regarded both of them with a weak smile, his face still streaked with lingering tears. "Guess its time for an intervention." He joked half-hearted, his hands clasped together tightly in his lap.

Sarah gave him a warm smile and placed her hand gently on his knee. "How was work?" She asked softly, knowing it was a stupid question but finding no other way to bring up the subject.

"Oh, you know, more computer problems, Jeff and Lester mischief, I saw my dad again. No big deal…"

Casey scoffed at the light shrug off and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, almost having a heart attack in the employee bathroom of the Buy More is "no big deal." Sorry kid, but the whole tough guy routine isn't going to work here."

"Casey!" Sarah snapped, noticing how Chuck seemed to cringe and withdraw at the older man's words. "Chuck, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that…"

The younger man smiled humorlessly and looked down. "You sound just like him…" He whispered almost inaudibly. He was fumbling with something in his hands, flipping it over and over again slowly.

"Sound like who?" Sarah asked, leaning forward a little so he could get a better look at what Chuck was holding. It was a round watch face, the numbers brightly colored and purposely crooked. A small image of Mickey Mouse sat in the center, his arms permanently stuck at 6:17. The face of the watch was crushed, tiny drops of dried blood snaking through the cracks and flecking across the cartoon character's face. Sarah frowned and looked at the cryptic young man again. "Chuck, who are you talking about?" She asked again, not entirely sure she wanted the answer.

"Andrew…" The name sounded forced and hollow as if it hurt to speak it out loud. "He would always say things like that. 'He didn't mean to say that' or 'Dad didn't mean it that way'" Chuck stopped and gripped the watch piece tightly in one hand. "Andrew is my little brother."

"Little brother?" Casey straightened a little, frowning. "I didn't know you had a little brother."

"I don't" The answer was short and clipped, Chuck's voice wavering slightly. "At least not anymore. More specifically, Andrew was my little brother…"

"What happened to him?" Sarah pressed lightly, not realizing she was whispering.

Chuck was silent for a long moment, his dark eyes focused on something neither Sarah nor Casey could see. Finally, after a few more seconds, he let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, his thumb brushing over the watch face delicately. "My father beat him to death when he was five years old… and I watched…"

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**I'm sorry!! I love Chuck but becuase of that I have to torture him :( Poor guy...hope you liked it!!**


	3. Retrospect

**God, I'm such a terrible person :( Poor Chuck...but its totally necessary for now. Hope you like it!! :D**

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Sarah felt herself gasp involuntarily at the sudden revelation and Casey unconsciously clenched his fist in silent fury next to the couch. His jaw set itself in a hard line and he forced himself to keep from growling out loud.

Chuck shook his head slightly, staring straight ahead, almost desperate to avoid eye contact. "You know, it's one of those things I've re-played over and over in my mind. What could I have done differently? Was there anything I could have done differently?" He stopped for a second, one hand raking through his dark hair absently. "It happened right after my mom left. My dad couldn't really handle it so he started staying out later and later every night but even when he did come home he was always jittery and angry. I know why now but when I was little I didn't understand; I just thought he was stressed out from work.

"That night Andrew and I had been playing tag downstairs. We were jumping around on the furniture and sliding across the floor in our socks…" Chuck smiled sadly and looked down. "I had chased him into the kitchen and we got a little careless and knocked over this huge glass bowl that had been on the kitchen table. When it broke, the glass was all around Andrew's feet so I told him to stay still while I went to get Ellie…I think my dad walked in right after I left the room."

Chuck sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed for a second. "You know, for a long time I wondered what would have happened had I just stayed in the kitchen with him or if I had just picked him up and moved him out of the way. I guess I was too busy being the responsible older brother and I just didn't think about it.

"Anyway, I had just told Ellie what had happened when we heard all this yelling coming from downstairs." Chuck stopped and took a slow breath, Sarah reaching over to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "My dad had Andrew by the throat and just kept hitting him over and over again, telling him he was stupid and worthless and all kinds of other horrible things. Andrew was crying and begging my dad to stop but he wouldn't listen.

"Ellie ran forward to grab Andrew but my dad…" The words stopped as long forgotten tears began to flood Chuck's eyes. Ignoring the way they clung to his lashes, he continued. "My dad grabbed Ellie and threw her into the wall. I think she hit her head on something because when she hit the ground she didn't move…" The computer tech scrubbed at his face as more tears threatened to fall. "I thought she was dead…"

Chuck cleared his throat and sniffed quietly. "My dad had dropped Andrew at some point and I remember trying to run over to get him out of the kitchen but my dad grabbed me before I could get to him. He threw me in the hallway closet and said "your brother needs to learn a lesson" before he locked me in…"

Casey's eyes widened as he remembered the younger man's reaction to being shoved in the closet earlier. He felt a tight knot of fury and regret begin to form in his stomach as he suddenly realized just how much that must have affected Chuck.

"I could hear Andrew crying from inside the closet and I kept yelling for my dad to stop and telling Andrew I was coming…and then it just got quiet." A small tremor shook the younger man's frame slightly. "It was so fucking quiet that I thought I was going to go insane." Chuck laughed bitterly and grit his teeth. "After that, everything was kind of a blur…I think on of our neighbors called the cops because the next thing I knew I was being pulled out of the closet by a woman in a police uniform.

"The paramedics had already taken Ellie to the hospital and another team was working on Andrew…but I could tell by their faces that they didn't have much hope for him. He, um…he didn't make it to the hospital…" Chuck stopped, unable to prevent the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he said the words out loud. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, almost as if he wasn't speaking to them anymore. "Do you know what it's like to have to identify your baby brother in the hospital morgue because the police can't even track down your own mother?"

There was a heavy silence and Chuck took a slow, shaky breath, wiping at his face with the back of his hand. "Uh…Ellie was in a coma for a little over two weeks. When she woke up…she didn't remember anything. She didn't know who she was, why she was in the hospital…she didn't even remember that we had a younger brother." There was a soft pause as Chuck flipped the watch piece in between his fingers again. "So I lied. I told her she had been in a car accident and that's why she was in the hospital."

"You never told her?" Casey asked quietly next to him, a look of disbelief crossing his face. Had Chuck really kept something this serious buried inside this whole time?

"No. I never told her." The younger man bit his lip thoughtfully and brushed away the remaining tears that had made their way down his face. "Ellie remembered enough to know that our mom had left but she couldn't remember anything about our dad. I wanted her to believe that he was a good man and that something so horrible could never happen in our family."

Chuck shook his head weakly. "Ellie didn't remember and I didn't want her to remember. I could take the memories, suppress them if I had to, but I knew it would break her heart to know what had happened. After our mom left, Ellie promised to take care of us…but now Andrew was dead because of something she couldn't even prevent and I figured the less she knew about that night, the better. So I kept it inside and went on with my life as normally as I could…"

Sarah shook her head slowly, ignoring the prickling of tears behind her own eyes. "Did your father ever try to see you after that? Did he ever try to make any kind of contact?"

Chuck shook his head and sat up a little straighter. "The last time I saw my father was the day I testified against him in court; I got to speak with him before it started. He kept promising that he was going to change and that we could pick up where we left off…we could be a "family" again." His jaw clenched tightly as the memory returned. "He never once mentioned anything about Andrew…it was almost like it didn't bother him that he'd murdered his own son…

"When he took the stand, he told everyone that the only thing he remembered was coming home to find his precious children beaten and mangled in the kitchen and that the police had arrested him even though he was completely innocent." The younger man was trembling in anger, his fists clenched into tight balls at his sides. "He went up there and lied, under oath, about what he had done. And I remember…he had this cocky, arrogant look on his face like he knew they wouldn't convict him. After all, why would they? Who would you be more likely to believe: a hard working man who had never had so much as a parking ticket or an eight year old little kid who had had a "rough" childhood?"

Chuck laughed bitterly and glared at the floor. "So when it was my turn, I went up to the stand and told the court how my father had beaten my baby brother to death even when he was begging him to stop. I told them that he was the reason Ellie had been on a respirator for almost two weeks and was having to learn how to walk again because he had given her brain damage. Needless to say, this contradicted my father's story tremendously. The jury reached their verdict in just a few hours and my father was charged with second degree murder and sentenced to fifteen years in prison."

A heavy pause fell across the room and Chuck smiled ruefully. "Still want to hear about my fucked up family?"

Neither agent said a word for several minutes, both too shocked to come up with a fitting response. Gently, Sarah pulled Chuck into a tight embrace and squeezed him lightly. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered, tightening her grip as she spoke. "We didn't know…"

Chuck smiled faintly and rubbed her arm. "I didn't want you to know…I've tried so hard to forget…tried to make myself think it was nothing more than a bad dream and that it had never actually happened." He squeezed the watch face lightly. "But this reminds me otherwise…I've kept it with me since the night Andrew died. It's the one thing I'll allow myself to remember." He carefully slipped the broken watch piece back into his pocket and shook his head a little, a pained expression crossing his face.

"I don't feel very well…would you mind if I took a shower?" The request was a little surprising and Casey blinked a few times before he could respond.

"Sure kid." He answered, desperately groping from something comforting to say but unable to come up with anything. Upset with this, he reached over and tousled Chuck's hair affectionately, hoping in conveyed what he couldn't say.

"Do you want one of us to sit with you?" Sarah realized it was a pretty silly question but the truth was, in light of this new information, Chuck needed to be under even more surveillance than he had been previously.

The younger man hesitated for a brief moment before nodding slightly and blushing from embarrassment.

Sarah smiled and squeezed his hand. "It's okay. Go on in an one of us will be there in a minute, okay?"

Chuck nodded again and stood slowly, turning toward Casey's room to get a change of clothes.

"Hey Chuck." Casey said hesitantly before he could leave the room.

The younger man turned, his eyes locking with the agent's. "Yeah?" His voice sounded hollow and thin, almost as if it was about to give out.

"What's your father's name?"

Chuck took a soft breath. "Mark."

With a faint nod, Casey offered him a reassuring smile. "Alright, that's all I needed to know."

Chuck nodded in return and disappeared into the back room, appearing in the hallway a few seconds later before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

"So, should we flip a coin?" Sarah asked, gazing at the door as it slid shut.

As much as it bothered Casey to think of Sarah seeing Chuck naked, he shook his head and nodded toward the bathroom. "He'll probably open up more to you. I'm going to run some searches on his father to see what I can find."

With that being said, the CIA agent nodded and grabbed her purse, walking down the hall to the bathroom and knocking on the door lightly. "Chuck, can I come in?"

There was a soft "yes" from the other side of the door and Sarah walked inside cautiously, not entirely sure how decent Chuck was at the moment. She relaxed a little when she saw him sitting on the edge of the bathtub, fully clothed and slipping off his shoes.

Chuck stepped into the tub and slid the curtain closed behind him. His work shirt and jeans appeared in a neat little pile by the outside of the tub and the water was turned on, quickly adjusting to the shower setting.

Sarah pulled out a spare set of clothes from her bag and stood on the other side of the shower to change. She stuffed her work uniform into the empty purse and slipped into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Running a hand carelessly through her hair, she hopped up onto the bathroom counter and crossed her legs beneath her.

Sarah didn't say anything for a long time, the need for words seemed trivial. She knew there was very little she could say to offer any kind of consolation but she was more than willing to offer the strong, protective presence that Chuck seemed to be in desperate need of at the time.

The shower was turned off and the towel hanging over the curtain rod disappeared behind the curtain. Sarah could hear the muffled movements of Chuck drying himself off and took it as her opportunity to speak.

"Chuck," She began quietly, thinking out her words with careful consideration. "Casey and I have been trained to suppress our emotions and personal feelings for our job's sake. It's hard as hell sometimes and I doesn't get any easier the closer you get to someone." She paused and Chuck did the same thing, his attention obviously focused on her.

"What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to be like that around us. More importantly, I don't want you to be like that. Casey and I are here to protect you but we're also you're friends. If there's something bothering you, you don't have to hide it from us, okay?"

There was a small pause before a quiet yet sincere "thank you" was heard from behind the curtain. It was honest and grateful, the offer obviously lifting some of the burden.

Sarah smiled warmly. "You're welcome." She whispered back, turning away as Chuck stepped out of the shower, the towel wrapped around his waist. The agent slid off the counter and pressed a friendly kiss to the younger man's cheek.

"I'll let you get dressed, okay?" She smiled and slipped into the hall, closing the door behind her. She knew full well there was at least three cameras hidden in the bathroom that Casey was more than likely glued to at the moment so the idea of leaving Chuck alone wasn't quite as menacing at the moment. With a faint smirk, Sarah turned and walked back to the living room to see how the search was going.

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**So I wasn't too sure about the prison time but I hope it's not too off O.o**


	4. White Star

**Yay!! Okay, so the story is starting to pick up a little more with this chapter so I hope you guys like it!! And thanks to D.K. Hellcat for your reviews, they really make me happy but I can never reply to them directly so I'll thank you here! :D**

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"Hey, did you find anything?" Sarah asked as she rounded the corner, walking up behind Casey to peek over his shoulder. She hid her smirk as she saw a number of windows containing images of Chuck getting dressed in the bathroom click closed rapidly.

Casey shot a glance over his shoulder at Sarah but ignored the teasing look she gave him. "Well, there's no record of a Mark Bartowski anywhere in our files if that's what you're asking." The other agent answered, looking back at the computer screen which was now covered in open pages and documents from deep government files.

Sarah frowned and shook her head slightly. "But that's impossible. The system should have a record of anyone who has ever been in federal court."

"Exactly, so I did a cross-reference search with the last name "Bartowski" and found this…" Casey clicked on a link attached to a file and a picture of a woman appeared on the screen, a small placard displaying her name and the date held below her. She had long, dark hair and blood-shot brown eyes with deep circles beneath them. The name on the placard read Evelyn Bartowski.

"Chuck's mother?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

"Yep. Evelyn Bartowski: arrested June 27, 1993 for DUI and assaulting a police officer." Casey scrolled down the screen, reading off highlighted bits of information. "Mother of three; Eleanor Marie, Charles Irving, and Andrew Cooper…ring a bell?"

"So Bartowski-?"

"Is his mother's maiden name." Casey answered for her, minimizing the file and searching through a jumble of small icons tucked away at the bottom of the computer screen.

"So who is Chuck's father?"

"Well, the files were kept pretty hidden but thanks to the access of security codes and the miracle of Google, I was able to find a few articles centered around child abuse cases from that year." Casey typed in a few more commands on the search screen and another file appeared almost instantly.

The man in the photo was in his early thirties, his eyes hard and cold as he glared at the camera. His mouth was set in a firm line and his jaw was clenched, clearly not in the mood for pictures. He looked like a hungry wolf, calculating and deadly.

"Recognize him." It wasn't question; it didn't need to be, this man was easy to remember.

Sarah's eyes widened and she gasped involuntarily. "DeWitt…?! Marcus DeWitt, the drug dealer?! He's Chuck's father?!"

Casey nodded somberly, his fist clenching and unclenching tensely at his side. "He resurfaced about a two years ago during a sting operation in San Diego. He was arrested under suspicion of dealing a new drug called White Star but due to the lack of evidence the charges had to be dropped."

"Why was he out of jail to begin with?!" Sarah snapped angrily, her temper flaring with this new information.

Casey shrugged half-heartedly, forcing himself to conceal his anger as well. "He's the man of one thousand breaks apparently. He ended up getting a very good lawyer and his sentence was reduced. He's been out for about four years but has managed to stay just out of reach of the police ever since."

Sarah clenched her fists tightly, her nails biting painfully into her palms. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. "Okay, so what is White Star and why would he be trying to get in touch with Chuck now?"

Casey shook his head slowly. "Apparently, White Star is a new kind of drug comparable to heroine but with an increased high that last about twice as long as the original substance. It depletes the pigmentation of the skin in the area of the injection site causing a white star-like mark, hence the name." Another photo appeared on the screen of a man's arm, the inside crook of his elbow faded into a dull white spidery mark. "The only problem is that the drug has a pretty bad track record for killing most of the buyers."

"How?"

The agent pulled up another file, a handwritten police report displayed across the screen. "The drug causes a dramatic spike in the core body temperature and, if it's not controlled, the person goes brain dead in a matter of minutes. However, even though they know the risks, people keep showing up to buy the drug so it manages to stay on the market. " Casey sighed heavily and closed the file. "My guess is that daddy dearest isn't just dropping by for an innocent visit and plans to do some business down here." A few more files were closed before only one remained, a lone photo displayed dejectedly across the screen.

It was Chuck, no older than eight years old, sitting alone on one of the benches in the courtroom. His hair sat in a mop of curls on top of his head and his dark eyes were cast to the floor.

"God…" Sarah whispered quietly, shaking her head. "He must have been so scared…to think he kept it in for so long…"

Casey closed the file, the very image making him sick. The idea that someone could be that cold and heartless toward someone as kind-hearted as Chuck made him furious. "Well, at least now we know what we're up against." He muttered through clenched teeth.

Both he and Sarah looked up as Chuck appeared in the doorway, dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. The younger man offered them a weak smile and ran a hand through his damp hair.

"Feeling any better?" Casey asked, watching him carefully. A little bit of color had returned to Chuck's face and he looked a little calmer than he had earlier.

Chuck started to answer but jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door. He looked toward the front of the house, his eyes widening a little.

Sarah noticed the younger man's fear and felt another surge of anger shoot through her again. Her eyes narrowed and she pulled her gun, walking to the front door and pressing her back against the wall. "Who is it?" She called loud enough to be heard outside.

"It's Morgan." The voice called back as Sarah peeked through the hole in the door, recognizing the green Buy More t-shirt and scruffy dark hair. "I came to check on Chuck, I knew he was staying with Casey."

Sarah sighed and pushed her gun into the back pocket of her jeans. "Feel up for some company?" She asked, turning the lock and grabbing the doorknob to open the door. She glanced over her shoulder at Chuck, frowning at his alarmed expression.

"Morgan didn't know I was staying here…" He whispered weakly, his wide eyes locked on the cracked door.

Before she had time to react, a tiny silver dart embedded itself in Sarah's shoulder and she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Casey was on his feet in an instant, gun drawn and standing in front of Chuck protectively.

A short man in a Buy More shirt pushed through the door and carefully stepped over Sarah. He pulled off a scruffy wig along with some glued on facial hair and dropped it to the floor, waving a voice transformer at the two men teasingly.

"Amazing how far technology has come." His thick German accent was disguised by Morgan's voice. He smirked lightly and shoved into his back pocket, enjoying the horrified look on Chuck's face. "Oh, not to worry, we didn't do anything to your little friend. We just recorded his voice and borrowed a shirt from your supply room." The man laughed and pulled his gun, pointing it toward Casey. "Bartowski is coming with me."

Casey growled softly, keeping himself safely in front of Chuck. "I don't think so." In one swift movement, he's pushed the younger man back into the hall and aimed his gun at the German. "Chuck run!" He yelled, wincing as a dart struck him in the shoulder and thigh.

Chuck's eyes widened as the NSA agent slumped to the ground. The German walked toward him, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. "Time for a homecoming, Bartowski." He chided, loading another dart into the gun.

Chuck didn't wait for the chamber to close. He bolted into Casey bedroom, knowing the agent kept at least one other gun in the dresser by the bed. He burst into the room right as a dart shot past him, planting itself in the wall uselessly. His mad dash to the dresser was instantly cut off as someone grabbed him from behind, a strong arm pinning him against another body in an iron-like grip. A cloth with something that smelled sickeningly sweet was pressed over his mouth an nose and Chuck struggled desperately, his limbs already becoming weak and unresponsive as the drug entered his blood stream.

A hazy face appeared before him, the cold smile making his eyes widen slowly. "Hello again, son." The words echoed uselessly in his mind and his struggling ceased as the last ounce of consciousness left him.

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**Yay cliffhanger!! I promise to update soon but I'm trying to come up with a good transition to the next chapter so I decided to stop here for now. Hope you like it!!**


	5. Plan

**Yay, more drama!! Poor Chuck, things just can't go right for him :( Oh well, it will get better eventually!!**

**D.K- Thanks for letting me know about the typing errors!! I managed to go back and correct them earlier :D Thanks again for your reveiws!!**

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Casey woke with a start, a wave of nausea rolling through him as the lingering traces of the drug from the darts made its presence known. He swallowed hard, a bitter, chemical taste coating the roof of his mouth and tongue.

From the look of things, Casey assumed he was in some kind of storage room. The ceiling was high with exposed beams that criss-crossed across the metal roof. The concrete floor was smooth and covered with large crates and pallets covered by thick plastic to hide their contents from view. He could feel the cold bite of handcuffs as they dug painfully into his wrists from the sharp angle his arms had been forced into. Another set shackled his ankles firmly the metal legs of the chair he was sitting in.

A few feet away, Sarah was slumped forward in her chair, long blond hair falling over her face and obscuring it from view. Casey opened his mouth to call out to her but stopped as he noticed a very small, almost undetectable movement coming from behind the chair. In careful, deliberate movements, Sarah was slowly but surely picking the lock on the handcuffs looped around her wrists. The NSA agent smirked to himself and turned his attention back to his own set, preparing to do the same thing. A small pin from his watch slipped into his waiting palm and he inserted it into the lock, walking it slowly through the metallic labyrinth.

The short German man appeared from behind a crate, two heavily-muscled men standing in his wake. "Look like one of our little ones is awake." Casey set his jaw a little more tightly at the sheer irony of the comment considering he towered over the man by at least a foot and a half.

The agent glared and momentarily stopped his lock-picking expedition. "What the hell do you want?" He demanded, eyes narrowing as he spoke. "You already took Chuck, why hang on to us? Most criminals I know would have jumped at the chance to kill a government agent."

The German cocked his gun casually and walked forward, pressing it into Casey's throat. "Is that an offer, secret agent man?" He smelled heavily of vodka and cigars and Casey found himself holding his breath as the man spoke. "Trust me, if I had it my way I would have killed you when I walked in. You and your fellow agents have murdered far too many of my family members to go unpunished."

"Well, maybe if the family business didn't revolve around drugs or illegal weapons trade the mortality rate might be smaller." Casey winced as the butt of the German's gun slammed into his jaw hard enough to loosen a tooth.

"Be careful what you say." The man growled sharply, his eyes cold and furious. "I may not be able to kill you but I can make you beg for it before it's all over." He smirked darkly and straightened, eyes flashing. "We are keeping you for insurance purposes for the time being. Our boss is interested in bringing his son into the trade business."

"You mean turning Chuck into a drug dealer?" Casey spat incredulously, one eyebrow quirking in surprise. "Good luck. That kid can't even handle aspirin let alone anything you guys are pushing."

The German smiled again and shrugged carelessly. "So he refuses." He gestured with his hand vaguely to show how little the idea bothered him. "If he does, we will bring him in here and then the real fun will begin." The glint in the German's eye was anything but fun. "I am very good at what I do. And I promise, it will not be quick."

The wink caused Casey's jaw to clench tightly, his fists trembling behind his back. He knew he could take the torture and was relatively certain Sarah could as well, but if Chuck were forced to watch it would break him without a shadow of a doubt.

"Until that decision is made, however, we have other ways to…entertain ourselves." He glanced over toward Sarah's slumped form, the other two men watching her with predatory lust. One of the men stepped forward and squeezed her breast roughly, jerking her head back and pressing a bruising kiss to her mouth.

Almost instantly, Sarah's eyes snapped open and she reacted with lightening fast reflexes. Her hand shot out, grabbing the man by the throat and twisting sharply so he was hurtled to the ground. The other man attempted to jump in to help his fallen companion but Sarah whipped her leg around, one of the handcuffs coming loose and slinging the chair into the man's chest. He stumbled backwards, collapsing to the ground as Sarah unshackled her other foot. Before either man could react, she looped the cuffs around their wrists and linked them together, kicking each in the side of the head and rendering them unconscious.

The German growled and turned his attention to the CIA agent, taking aim and preparing to shoot. With his back turned to him, Casey stood quickly and looped his arms around the man's neck, knocking the gun from his hand with his fist. Seeing that the last of their captors was now secure, Sarah walked over, grabbing the stray gun on the way and promptly shooting the man in the thigh.

The German cried out in agony, his legs buckling as he struggled against Casey's grasp. Sarah ignored his cries of pain and grabbed him by the front of the shirt, jerking him close to her face. "Where is Chuck?" She demanded fiercely, the barrel of the gun pressing deeply into the man's stomach.

"I-I don't know…!" He stammered, eyes squeezed shut tightly against the pain. "Marcus has him in one of the back rooms…we were just sent to keep an eye on you two…!"

"Well, you did. And look what happened." Sarah nodded to the two unconscious men sprawled across the ground and glared at him.

"I-I was paid to come along…!" The German exclaimed, turning away from Sarah and looking for any form of help he could find. "Marcus forced me…please don't kill me…!"

The CIA agent shook her head, her eyes cold. "Trust me, I'm not the one you need to worry about in this situation." She said, noticing how Casey's grip was getting steadily tighter with each passing second. She shot one last glare at the man before shoving the gun into the back of her jeans. "You better pray nothing has happened to him." Sarah stepped away and nodded, watching as Casey punched the man hard enough to shatter his jaw.

The German crumpled to the ground, a few teeth tumbling out of his mouth. Casey stepped back, glaring at the unconscious henchmen as he shook out his hand from the punch. "You okay?" He asked as Sarah scrubbed at her mouth furiously with one hand.

"Yeah…" She muttered after a minute, looking around the room carefully. "Where are we?"

"Not sure, but DeWitt is around here somewhere." He unlocked the cuffs around his ankles and kicked the chair across the room, finishing up on the one still attached to his wrist. "I don't think I've ever seen you get so angry before." He teased, noticing how Sarah kept shooting murderous looks at the men as he spoke.

"What can I say? Chuck brings out the best in me, I guess."

"Yeah, me too." Casey muttered quietly, ignoring the smirk Sarah shot him from the side and dropping the useless handcuffs to the floor. "back up should be here soon, I managed to activate a call right before the drugs kicked in."

Sarah nodded and tossed him the gun. "Go find Chuck, I can take care of things here." She winked and for a split second Casey felt a blush dust his face. Damn her for knowing!

Instead of a retort, the NSA agent simply nodded and turned to walk out of the room, silently vowing to dismember DeWitt slowly if he had hurt Chuck in anyway.

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**Yay!! Okay, I know this chapter was pretty short but I plan to update again on Thursday so it shouldn't be too long of a wait :D Hope you like it!!**


	6. Experience

**Yay!! DeWitt just keeps getting more evil and I love it because you all can't wait for something terrible to happen to him!! Don't worry, it will, it just makes me happy that you guys hate him as much as I do :D He's such a jerk!! Anyway, hope you like it!!**

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Icy water drenching him to the bone was the first thing that jarred Chuck into consciousness.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead!" An echoed voice chided, the sarcasm carelessly hidden behind mock enthusiasm.

Chuck coughed and sputtered as water shot up his nose and trickled down the back of his throat. A renegade drop seeped into the corner of his eye and he tried to raise his hand to wipe it away but found his movements oddly restricted. His left wrist was handcuffed to a pipe protruding from the underside of a large metal sink and he was lying on his side on the hard concrete floor. The room was small with plain white walls, a low counter top and a gleaming file cabinet pressed up against one wall. A handful of papers and a few glass bottles sat on top of the counter, the glass glistening in the sputtering florescent light. There was a soft, humorless laugh and Chuck's eyes widened a little as he looked up to see his father smirking down at him.

"Morning sunshine." His father grinned, placing a plastic bucket on the floor a few feet away. He walked over and crouched down, grabbing a handful of Chuck's hair and jerking his head up. "Sleep well?"

Chuck managed a weak glare, unaware that he had begun shivering from the cold puddle that now surrounded him. "What the hell do you want?" He growled, forcing himself to talk without his teeth chattering. "Where are Casey and Sarah?"

"Ohh, someone's in a feisty mood." DeWitt chuckled and dropped his son's head back to the ground so his jaw connected sharply with the cold concrete. He stepped back and brushed off his suit, absently lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag. "What do I want?" DeWitt leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as if contemplating the question. "I want you to join the family business Chuck." He explained easily, a sinister smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Chuck shook his head, the words jumbling together in his drug hazed mind. "What?" He mumbled, blinking rapidly as another stream of water slipped into his eyes. "What business?"

DeWitt clapped his hands once and tossed his cigarette across the room. "Glad you asked!" He exclaimed, plucking one of the vials from the counter top and twirling it between his fingers. He walked over and crouched down in front of Chuck, waving the bottle in front of his face. "See this? It's like liquid gold; I have buyers willing to pay up to one thousand dollars a pop for just one of these little samples."

The computer tech's eyes widened and then narrowed as he glared past the bottle at his father. "So you're a drug dealer?" He demanded, clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering.

DeWitt laughed and shrugged casually. " 'Drug dealer' is such a harsh word. I prefer to think of myself as a pharmacist of sorts. I provide something that makes my clients feel good and they pay me well for it. It's all in the game of business." He smiled and set the vial back on the counter. "But you see, like most successful businesses, we had to expand our territory to make more profit. Starting tomorrow, we're going to take over the entire West Coast."

"So what do you want with me?" Chuck asked, unable to hide his shivers any longer.

"Well, as you can well imagine, I'm a busy man and will need someone to help out when I'm not around. My previous business partner and I had a falling out a few weeks ago and I figured who better to fill his place than my dear, estranged son?"

"Forget it!" Chuck snapped, his voice quavering as a shiver wracked his body. "I'm not helping you with anything! You ruined our lives!"

DeWitt laughed once before he slammed his fist, full force, into Chuck's jaw. The younger man winced as his teeth sliced through the inside of his mouth, blood gushing from the raw gap almost instantly. DeWitt looked down at him with fake remorse and sighed heavily. "Now see, I can beat you into submission but that would just make you resent me even more. So how about this: you join me willingly and I'll be sure to leave your sister out of this." Seeing his son's eyes widen, DeWitt laughed and patted his shoulder. "Hell, I'll even make sure whatever is left of your little government friends gets back home safely."

Chuck struggled uselessly against the handcuffs, glaring hatefully up at his father. "What have you done with them?" He growled, trying to make his voice sound braver than he felt.

"Oh, nothing yet. But trust me, when I do it won't be pretty." DeWitt leaned closer so he was only inches away from his son, a dangerous glint in his eye. "I've been with the underground circuit for a few years now, son, and trust me when I say that yes, cliché as it may sound, there are some things worse than death. I have seen things that would drive you to complete insanity long before death ever came." He smiled at the horrified look on Chuck's face and adjusted his tie a little. "Now, what we can do is try this with your friends in the other room and then move on to Ellie or vice versa. Either way, I will make you watch until the very end." DeWitt stood slowly, lighting another cigarette and taking a deep drag. "Your call." He shrugged casually and started toward the door, pausing when Chuck yelled for him to wait.

The computer tech shook his head a little and took a deep breath. "Alright. Fine, I'll help you just…leave Ellie and Casey and Sarah out of this…please…"

DeWitt smiled innocently. "But of course. Now, was that so hard?" He smiled darkly and walked back over to the counter top, opening a drawer and pulling out packaged medical syringe and carefully assembling it.

"W-What are you doing?" Chuck asked, a shiver that was from anything but cold shooting down his spine.

His father looked surprised by the question and turned back to face him. "How do you expect to sell any of this if you don't have a first-hand experience?" He slipped the needle into the top of the vial and extracted a measured amount. "Of course, since we will be introducing this into bar and night club circuit, I'm going to need to see how this affects someone your age." He tapped the syringe lightly and walked over, grabbing Chuck's arm in a vice-like grip and pinning it to his side. "Granted, there's no guarentee your body will accept it; the drug could easily kill you." DeWitt smirked and swabbed the inside of his son's arm with alcohol. "But if that happens, at least I still have Ellie."

Chuck never had a chance to protest as he felt a sharp pinch followed by a sensation of liquid fire shooting through his veins. His body reacted without him realizing it and he curled in on himself, free arm clutching his chest as his breathing and heart rate began to increase dramatically.

DeWitt stood and tossed the used needle into a trashcan by the filing cabinet. "Stay put." He called uselessly over his shoulder. "I'm going to go get rid of your little agent friends."

"What..?!" Chuck gasped, back arching sharply as a wave of fire shot through him.

"Well, you already agreed to join me so they serve no purpose any longer. I was going to use them as leverage but considering you turned so easily, they're worthless pawns in my game."

"You…said you'd leave them alone…!" Chuck cried, squeezing his eyes shut as a weak convulsion shook him to his very core.

"Yeah, well I lied." His father shrugged an stepped outside, closing the door and leaving his son gasping and chained to the sink.

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**Poor Chuck, I just can't give him a break :( Things will get better for him, I promise but not yet!**


	7. Ghost

**Whoohoo!! Things are starting to get more interesting!! And Chuck's dad is still a jerk but oh well...Hope you all like it!!**

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Casey rounded the corner sharply, gun pressed tightly against his leg, finger already hovering over the trigger. The hallways were long and empty for the most part but every one of them curved into different, more unfamiliar areas of the building like a brick labyrinth. Occasionally, a lone workman would stumble past the irate agent and would have to endure the blunt of his frustration. However, they were few and far between in the deeper hallways so Casey was left to grumble and curse by himself.

The hall cut to the right suddenly up ahead and the agent sighed as he realized these corridors were probably taking him further and further away from his intended destination. That possibility was irritating enough but the idea that Chuck could be hurt and alone somewhere was making the search even worse. Casey clenched his jaw, his hand unconsciously tightening on the gun as the thought gnawed at his already tense nerves.

A sudden jolt of fear shot through him, powerful enough to make his breath hitch in his throat. There was no reason for it, at least not one that he could see. But he knew, deep down, exactly what it was. A surge of adrenaline masked behind an overwhelming desire to get to Chuck as soon as possible pushed his feet forward and Casey rounded the corner quickly, not caring where the hallway took him as long as it was closer to the younger man. "Hang on kid," He muttered under his breath as he ran. "I'm coming…"

**OOOOO**

Violent, seizure-like tremors began to wrack Chuck's body and his back arched painfully against the convulsive actions. He curled onto his side, panting in agony, shivering and sweating at the same time.

The room swam around him and he blinked rapidly, trying desperately to ignore the horrifying images that crept into his consciousness. The file cabinet began to shake, lunging and arching toward him from its place against the wall. Grotesque, demon-like faces grinned down at him from the shining metal of the sink and the little glass vials of the drug cast dizzying reflective patterns across the walls and cieling. Closing his eyes was no better; the monstrous images seemed to follow him there as well.

His stomach lurched and he gagged forcefully, bile scorching the back of his throat and making it hard to breathe. Chuck moaned, the muscles in his leg spasming suddenly and causing it to connect with an exposed piece of pipe jutting out of the wall. Metal sliced deep and blood began to gush down the back of his leg, pooling around his knee.

Another spasm hit him full force and he twisted away from the sink, the handcuff slicing deeply into his wrist. Chuck bit back a cry as his body jerked again and the pipe ruptured, his chained wrist falling against his side limply. A spray of shockingly cold water burst from the broken pipe, drenching him to the bone as he lay gasping on the ground.

Chuck shivered violently, not sure whether the water was actually that cold of if his body was just telling him that it was. He knew he needed to get up or move or do something productive that could help Casey and Sarah but no amount of force or persuasion could pull him off the floor as the icy water began to flood the ground around him.

Something snapped deep within, and Chuck clenched his teeth painfully as a new and terrifying feeling clawed its way through him. A low, gutteral laugh began in the back of his throat and worked its way to the surface, vibrating against his chest painfully. He laughed hard, harder than he ever had in his life, and he wasn't sure why. Tears slipped from his eyes, mixing with the frigid water surrounding him, and he laughed harder. His lungs ached and his throat burned with the unbearable force but the laughter kept coming. His lungs constricted sharply and Chuck doubled onto his side again, gripping his chest as his heart shuddered violently against his rib cage. A sudden wave of false euphoria swept through him, silencing the mindless giggling he'd been reduced to and Chuck lay still, gasping raggedly and staring at the ceiling.

His body was on fire, throbbing and tingling with each passing second. He could hear the rush of blood through his ears, the sound mingling with the constant spray of water that soaked his face and body. Everything hurt, breathing more than anything, and for several seconds Chuck felt like taking another breath would surely kill him. He blinked slowly, forcing the ragged intake of breath into his body and gritting his teeth as it circulated around in his abused lungs.

The door swung open and the hazy image of a person ran in and crouched down beside him. Cool hands touched his face gently, fingers threading through his hair in probing touches. Chuck could faintly hear a voice calling his name, talking to him, but he couldn't manage a response. A sharp slap against his cheek caused some of the haziness to fade and he blinked, his eyes locking on the somewhat clearer image of the man above him.

He had dark, reddish-brown hair that sat in loose waves on top of his head. Faded scars weaved across his young face and though he was clearly blind in one eye, the concern was evident in both. "Chuck, can you hear me?"

Chuck's eyes widened and he blinked rapidly, shaking his head weakly against the ghastly hallucination before him. "No…" He moaned, tears flooding his eyes again and streaming down his cheeks. "No…you're not real…!" He trembled, a sob building in his chest, and gripped the younger man's sleeve. "You died…you died Andrew…You're not real…"

A pained expression crossed the young man's face but he never said anything. Instead, he helped Chuck sit up and pulled him close so his mouth was just inches from the other man's ear. "Listen to me Chuck," He whispered, pressing something cold and distinctly metal into the drugged man's hands. "There's not a lot of time and I can only tell you this once. DeWitt doesn't know I'm here and if he did he'd kill me on sight." Making sure Chuck was still coherent enough to listen, the younger man whispered a series of directions into his ear, speaking slowly so everything he said could be remembered. When he finished, he pulled back and gripped Chuck's shoulders gently. "Be careful and hurry. Once he figures out you're gone, DeWitt will try to hunt you down."

Chuck shook his head weakly, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Andrew…Andrew…" He whispered brokenly, his fingers ghosting over the pale scars that marred the younger man's face. "I'm so sorry…I should have protected you…"

The younger man closed his eyes and took a slow, measured breath. "Chuck, I'm so sorry…but I'm not Andrew…" The words wavered slightly as they were spoken but the young man remained composed. He embraced the trembling computer tech tightly, hiding his face for a split second. "This is all I can do for you…" He whispered quietly, his voice drowned out by the rushing water.

Chuck closed his eyes against the sobs that threatened to overwhelm him. He covered his mouth, afraid that if he didn't they would somehow managed to find their way out. "Andrew…" He opened his eyes but there was no one there, the room was devoid of any sign of another person. Taking a shuddering breath, Chuck forced himself to his feet, the cold metal still cradled against his fevered skin. In a few shaky steps, he'd made it to the door, looking back for a split second and wondering whether or not any of it had been real.

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**Hehe, so was Andrew really there or not?? I'll leave that up to you to decide =D Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!**


	8. Broken Hallelujah

**Wow, sorry it took me so long to update!! Hope everyone had a good holiday!! :D**

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Casey irritably shoved the incapacitated worker into a nearby boiler room and fastened the lock tightly, satisfied at the deep pop of metal. He re-holstered his gun, gingerly rubbing the side of his jaw where the man had managed to land a lucky blow.

The agent rounded another corner, the sick feeling in his stomach becoming worse with every passing second. Aside from the fact of not being able to find Chuck, a new realization had dawned on him. In light of the new information about his father, both he and Sarah feared Chuck might be taken away from them and put in an underground bunker somewhere so he could be kept under even stricter surveillance. The young man had a hard enough time dealing with the lack of privacy he experienced between Casey and Sarah but he was used to them by now. However, to be uprooted completely and placed in the care of total strangers would absolutely kill him and Casey knew it.

Casey's jaw set a little more tightly as he spotted another lone worker up ahead, his back to him. The man was completely focused on the task in front of him, quickly and carefully punching in a set of numbers into a keypad bellow a small computer screen. Seeing him reminded Casey that his nerd was still missing and it pissed him off even more. In a few short seconds, he was on top of the worker, delivering a sharp punch to the man's stomach and catching him as he doubled over.

The worker's senses kicked back in and he attempted to fight back but didn't stand a chance against the increasingly irate agent. He wrenched the man's arm behind his back and captured him in a headlock, holding on tightly.

"Where is DeWitt?" Casey growled deeply into the man's ear, his grip tightening unconsciously at the sound of the other man's name coming out of his mouth. "Where!" The agent snapped, his small amount of patience beginning to ebb away as the man continued to struggle.

The man tried to choke out an answer but gasped suddenly as a bullet sank deeply into his gut. Casey's eyes widened and he looked up just in time to see the man in question appear at the end of the hallway.

DeWitt smirked darkly and rubbed the pistol against his suit, cleaning it casually. "You know, it really is true what they say: It's hard to find good help these days."

The worker's body had gone still and Casey let him fall to the floor. He stepped over him carefully, his eyes trained on DeWitt's every movement. Quickly, the gun was cocked and in his hand, leveled with DeWitt's chest. "Where is he?" Casey growled, the words snapping out of his mouth venomously.

"Who? Chuck?" DeWitt chuckled softly and shrugged. "Oh, he's around." He answered ominously, stepping closer to the agent the way a lion approaches its prey. "Actually, you've saved me a lot of trouble. You see, I was planning to let him watch as we tortured you and your little blond friend but I think I've come up with a better idea now. I think I'll shoot you first and make him finish the job." The bullet fell into the chamber and DeWitt's gun cocked as well. "Sound like a plan?"

Casey's finger twitched on the trigger and he brought his gun up fast, firing a shot that skimmed past DeWitt's ear as he dodged it. An opposing bullet zipped past Casey, striking the dead worker in the leg as he rolled out of the way. With one swift kick, DeWitt was on the ground, his gun skating across the floor away from him.

The fight was furious, each man hitting with strong, devastating blows. Casey could feel a few ribs trying to crack but he knew that he was also landing a few good shots of his own. His fist crashed into DeWitt's jaw and there was satisfying pop as the joint was dislocated. DeWitt growled in pain and shoved Casey backward, his fists slamming into the agent's chest and back in a flurry of movement. With a renewed burst of strength, Casey kicked him back, watching as DeWitt's head connected loudly with the wall.

The older man laughed humorlessly and shoved his jaw back into place, dark eyes gleaming dangerously. "All this for Chuck?" He pressed a hand to his heart, a disgusted smile crossing his face. "I'm almost touched."

Casey felt a surge of fury attempt to overwhelm him and his fists clenched painfully at his sides. "If you ever say his name again I will disembowel you with my bare hands."

DeWitt smirked and shook his head, pulling himself to his knees and watching the agent's moves carefully. "Never took my son to be some government agent's bitch."

Before he could control himself, Casey was on top of DeWitt again, slamming him into the wall as hard as he possibly could. The concrete walls crunched beneath their combined weight and neither one planned to give up any time soon. Unfortunately, DeWitt was a split second faster than the agent gave him credit for and Casey found himself kicked backwards, landing hard on his back. There was a soft click as the pistol was cocked and Casey froze, his eyes locked on the older man.

DeWitt stepped forward slowly, his gun trained expertly on every move the agent made. He absently brushed the dust from his suit jacket and leveled the gun on Casey's forehead. "Any last words?"

"Go fuck yourself." Casey snarled, his eyes murderous as he glared at DeWitt.

"Such language…" The older man scolded lightly, pulling the trigger.

The gunshot was deafening and Casey winced as the roar filled his ears. Then silence. Nothing but complete and utter silence. For some reason this bullet wound didn't feel like the others. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all.

Casey opened his eyes, blinking in confusion as he did a mental check of all of his extremities and vital organs, finding them amazingly all in tact. DeWitt still stood above him, the same cold smile spread across his face. He lowered his arm slowly and pulled back the left side of his suit jacket, watching as a blossom of crimson bubbled to the surface and began to stain his shirt. He laughed once, almost surprised by the mortal wound, and turned to face his assailant.

Chuck's eyes were wide and locked on his father's, the gun still shaking in his hands.

DeWitt started to raise his own gun but it fell from his hand, clattering to the ground as a deep, bloody cough wracked his body. He smiled, his teeth stained red as a small trickle of blood crept from the corner of his mouth. "Good shot…" He choked, his body shuddering once before falling forward into a heap on the ground.

Casey was on his feet in an instant, kicking the gun out of DeWitt's hand and absently checking him over. The shot couldn't have been more accurate if he tried, the bullet passing cleanly through the chest cavity and piercing the heart as it passed. Marcus DeWitt was dead.

Casey noticed Chuck was still gripping the gun in his trembling grasp so he slowly raised his hands in front of his chest to show he wasn't going to hurt him. "Chuck," He began quietly, keeping his voice calm and gentle to keep from startling the younger man. "Put the gun down okay?"

Chuck hesitated for a split second, almost as if it took him some time to figure out what Casey had said, his wide brown eyes fixed on the motionless figure of his father on the ground. With a tiny gasp, the gun fell from his shaking fingers and landed on the ground with a loud thud.

Casey closed the gap between them in less than two strides, pulling the younger man into a tight, protective embrace. Chuck was soaking wet and shivering but seemed relatively unharmed after the whole event. "God…" He breathed, relieved beyond measure to have Chuck safely in his arms. "Are you alright?"

The younger man nodded weakly, his hands tangled in Casey's shirt in a white-knuckle grip. "I killed him…" Chuck whispered, his words soft and broken. "I killed him…"

Fearing he might go into shock, Casey tightened his grip a little and gently ran his fingers through Chuck's damp hair. "It's okay… you reacted on instinct Chuck, it's not your fault…"

Chuck nodded again, his entire body beginning to tremble violently. "Casey…?" He whispered, voice shaking.

"Yeah?" The agent pulled back to look at him, his eyes widening as a tiny stream of blood began to trickle from Chuck's nose.

"I'm not alright…" He whispered weakly just as his knees buckled and he collapsed into Casey's arms.

The agent reacted quickly and caught the younger man before he fell, his arms wrapped tightly around his back. Slowly, he kneeled to the ground, Chuck still clutched in his arms, and propped him against his knee. He checked the younger man's pulse, frowning in concern at the bounding, erratic rhythm that shuddered beneath his fingertips. Chuck's breathing was harsh and labored, his chest contracting faintly as he exhaled. For a few heart-stopping seconds, there was no intake of breath and Casey felt a wave of panic wash over him. "Come on kiddo. Take a breath for me, okay?" He urged, cupping Chuck's face gently and brushing his thumb across his cheekbone.

Chuck's eyes darted back and forth beneath his pale lids and he managed to draw in a shaky breath, coughing raggedly as the air circulated back through his lungs.

Casey sighed in relief, pressing a kiss to the younger man's temple as his chest began to rise and fall a little more evenly against the agent's shoulder. His relief was only temporary, however, as he noticed the pale, star-shaped mark that stretched across the inside of Chuck's arm.

Cursing quietly, Casey gathered the unconscious young man in his arms and lifted him gently, cradling him close. He knew they needed to get out of here and fast but he had no idea which way out was. There was a soft gasp behind him and Casey whipped around quickly, ready to defend his unconscious charge at all costs.

Sarah ran forward, her blue eyes widening as she saw the lifeless form cradled in the other agent's arms. "Oh God, Casey…is he-?" Sarah couldn't bring herself to finish the question, her hands flying to her mouth as she got closer.

Casey shook his head and tightened his grip a little. "No, he's alive. We have to get him out of here though, DeWitt shot him up with the drug."

Sarah frowned at the deep worry lines that crossed Casey's face and glared daggers at the man responsible for all of this. "Come on, the police just arrived and they're planning to shut down this entire building." She glared at the dead form of DeWitt one last time and motioned for Casey to follow her.

Casey followed, holding Chuck close as if to keep him as far away from his dead father as possible. He gave DeWitt a solid kick in the side as he passed, feeling much better instantly.

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**Hah! Take that DeWitt, you ass...**


	9. Stay

**Yay!! It's about time Chuck got some TLC =) Hope you all like it!!**

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"I understand all of that, agent Walker, but in light of recent events I just feel that the Intersect is no longer safe in your care."

Sarah bit her lip sharply and glared at the floor, her fists clenching into loose fists at her sides. She knew all along that this was a very real possibility but had been hoping like hell that it wouldn't come down to the current conversation. Instead of taking Chuck to the hospital, she and Casey had brought him back to the apartment and were going to care for him here. Both agents knew that the hospital staff would ask way more questions than they were willing to answer about the unusual drug that refused to show up on a toxicology screen. With Casey pacing back and forth taking care of Chuck, Sarah had contacted Beckman to fill her in on the details. Not that it was all that necessary; the general already knew just about everything about the incident and was clearly not happy.

"Please…" Sarah begged, her will to fight pretty much depleted. "Don't do this. We handled the situation and have Chuck safely back under our protection."

"Yes, but at what cost?" Beckman asked, folding her arms over the table. "Marcus DeWitt is dead and Chuck was still exposed to the drug. In fact, it's a miracle he's even still alive." Beckman shook her head slowly and let out a breath. "I'm sorry agent Walker, but you and agent Casey are off this case. We will be moving the Intersect to a secure holding facility later this evening."

Sarah's breath hitched in her throat but she was silently glad that Casey wasn't in the room at the moment. She knew that if he had heard of their termination he would have probably broken the computer along with just about everything else in the room. Sarah cursed silently and looked back at the monitor. "With all due respect, General, I'm not going to let you do that. Chuck's entire life is here; his friends, his family, everything. If you take him away from all of that he will completely shut down. I guarantee it."

The General's mouth drew into a tight line and she sat up a little straighter. "Agent Walker, I understand your point but the fact of the matter is that DeWitt or someone who worked with him at least had some idea of where the Intersect was because of the threat they left in Chuck's house. We have no idea if they knew Chuck was actually the Intersect or not but the fact that they had information leading them to him is a risk we cannot take again. We got lucky this time because as far as we know that information has not been leaked but if it had been then Chuck's life would be forfeit." Beckman shook her head again. "I'm very sorry, agent Walker, but we cannot put the Intersect at risk like that again. What Chuck needs is a guarded government facility, not some apartment building with only two agents keeping an eye on him."

"No, what he needs is for someone to give a damn about him for a reason other than the Intersect." Casey snapped as he stormed past Sarah and into the laundry room to grab a few clean towels from the dryer. His jaw clenched as he walked back by the computer, his eyes narrowing as Beckman followed his every move. Without giving her a second glance, Casey stomped towards the bedroom, stopping by the bathroom to turn the shower on as he passed, before disappearing into the hall.

Sarah fought desperately to keep his knowing smile hidden and instead focused on the keyboard to keep her expression neutral.

There was a very long, exasperated breath from Beckman and her posture relaxed ever so slightly. "Agent Walker, I hope you understand that getting too attached to Chuck will only end badly for both you and agent Casey."

Sarah nodded slowly and raised her eyes to look at the General. "I'm sorry, General, but I'm afraid it's already too late for that. Chuck has become a part of mine and Casey lives and we are willing to do anything to keep it that way."

With another defeated sigh, Beckman closed her eyes for a second. "Sarah," She began, startling the CIA agent with the use of her first name. "Do not let anything like this happen again. This is your only warning. Do you understand?"

Sarah felt tears of relief prickle behind her eyes and she nodded full-heartedly. "Yes ma'am." She allowed herself a real smile for the first time in what felt like days and looked back at the computer. "Thank you very much."

Beckman nodded hesitantly before cutting off the link connecting them. For a few seconds, Sarah could do nothing but stand and stare at the blank screen, her heart still racing from the conversation before. She sank into the computer chair and took a long, slow breath, the tears slipping from the corners of her eyes unhindered. She let them come; she let herself cry for Chuck and for Ellie and for Andrew, she cried for the incredible amount of pain Chuck had to endure to keep that secret hidden and for the terrible loss he'd suffered. Sure, her father had been no parent of the year either, but this was so much worse. A few more seconds passed before Sarah was able to regain her composure well enough to stop crying. She brushed the lingering tears away from her face and stood, grabbing her cell phone and stepping outside. She knew Ellie would be home soon and wanted to at least give her a watered down version of what happened before she made the discovery for herself.

**OOOOO**

Casey rounded the corner into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him as he entered. Not that it would make any difference; Chuck was still unconscious but it was more force of habit than anything else.

Chuck was half-curled on his side, his damp hair falling across his eyes and sticking to the thin layer of sweat that had broken out across his forehead. He moaned weakly, his eyes moving back and forth behind closed lids as if he were dreaming. The icy water he'd been exposed to earlier had kept his temperature from reaching dangerous levels but Casey knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. He needed to keep Chuck cool until the drug had worked its way through and out of his system.

Realizing that it was going to be a bitch to wrestle the clothes off of the unconscious younger man, Casey decided on the next best thing and retrieved a pocket knife from his dresser. He flipped the blade open and sat on the edge of the bed, quickly and carefully slicing through the seams of Chuck's shirt and peeling the thin fabric away from his chest and dropping it to the ground. His fingers brushed gently across the bruised, torn flesh that marred Chuck's wrist from the handcuffs. Growling internally, Casey clenched his jaw and forced the murderous rage back down. He turned his attention to the computer tech's jeans, a mixture of relief and chagrin washing through him as he realized Chuck was wearing a pair of grey flannel boxers underneath. The knife sliced into the thick fabric, carefully tracing its way down Chuck's hips and legs until his pants were left in a shredded state much like his shirt. Fighting the blush that crept up his face and neck, Casey gathered the younger man in his arms and made his way to the bathroom.

Keeping a firm yet gentle grip on his unconscious charge, Casey kicked off his shoes and pulled the shower door open. He braced himself for the shock of cold water that he was about to endure and, taking a deep breath, stepped into the tiled stall.

Almost immediately, Chuck's eyes flew open and he began struggling, fighting back uselessly against the much stronger, lucid agent. Casey had expected this reaction as well and simply tightened his hold on the younger man.

"Chuck, its me. Its Casey." His fingers carded through the damp curls and he kept his mouth close to Chuck's ear. "Shh…you're alright. I've got you. You're okay…"

Chuck's struggling lessened and he leaned heavily into Casey, breathing hard. "Casey…?" He asked, his fingers curling slightly into the agent's chest. "You're real…?"

The agent wasn't entirely sure what that comment meant but he shrugged it off. "You got it, kiddo." Casey smiled into his hair, his lips brushing against Chuck's temple.

The remainder of Chuck's strength failed a few seconds later and he collapsed fully into Casey's arms. The agent reacted instantly and caught him, cradling him close as they both slid to the floor of the shower. "Shh…I've got you Chuck…"

Cold water pounded down on them as they sat against the wall, Chuck curled in the older agent's arms. His eyes were glassy and unfocused but he kept a weak grip on Casey's arm. "Don't go anywhere…" He begged, his voice frail and hard to hear over the roar of the water.

"Don't worry, kid. I'm not leaving you anytime soon." Casey whispered softly, his fingers pressing gently to the underside of Chuck's uninjured wrist so he could monitor his pulse. It was still a little too fast for his liking but it no longer had the alarming, sporadic rhythm it had had earlier. "Just relax okay? I'm not going anywhere…"

The younger man shifted slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position, and hid his face in the crook of Casey's neck. His breath still came in short, ragged gasps but it was easier to breathe now than it had been earlier. The cold water mixed with Casey's body heat lulled him back into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness and Chuck felt his eyes close before he was even aware of it.

Feeling the younger man relax against him, Casey let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and stared up at the showerhead. His eyes landed on Chuck's leg and for the first time he noticed the deep gash that had torn into the younger man's calf. Dried blood washed away with the swirling water but the agent felt his anger begin to rise again. Casey knew it was going to take a long time for that kind of rage to go away but he wasn't entirely concerned with it right now. Chuck was safe in his arms again; that's all that mattered for now.

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**Hehe, knife-play is kinda sexy. Anyway, hope you like it!!**


	10. Real

**Jazz hands!! I am all about the angst fluff today apparently :D Hope you all like it!!**

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It took a good forty-five minutes before Casey was satisfied enough to remove Chuck from the cold water of the shower. The younger man's skin was much cooler than it had been earlier and the agent knew that if he left in the water any longer he'd run the risk of hypothermia.

He scooped Chuck into his arms once more and stood slowly, his legs and feet tingling as the blood began to flow back into his extremities. The shower was turned off and Casey grabbed a few dry towels from the little pile he'd thrown on the floor earlier. Tossing them over his shoulder, he stepped out of the bathroom and rounded the corner into the bedroom, setting Chuck on the bed gently.

Casey slipped into the closet and stripped his wet clothes, changing into a dark grey t-shirt and black sleep pants before returning to the bed. He wrapped a towel around Chuck's shoulders tightly, rubbing his arms and back briskly to prevent him from getting any colder. The younger man's head rested heavily against Casey's shoulder, his eyes barely open as he struggled to remain conscious; a fight he was quickly losing. Noticing the way the computer tech was slumping further and further into him with each passing second, Casey gently pushed him back onto the mattress and brushed the wet hair away from his face.

The wet boxers had to come off and Casey blushed faintly at the idea of having to be the one to do it since Chuck was barely conscious. He retrieved a pair of dry boxers from the dresser and set them on the bed next to his injured charge. Fighting against the blush that had stained his cheeks, Casey looked down with a half-smile. "Sorry about this, kid." He muttered, quickly stripping the somewhat startled computer tech of his remaining clothing and tossing it across the room near his shredded shirt and jeans. Keeping his eyes on the ceiling, Casey shoved the younger man's legs into the boxers and pushed them up to his hips.

Chuck blinked slowly, wanting desperately to sit up to help out with the process but knowing that was damn near impossible at the moment. The drug had taken its toll on his body and now everything felt like it was weighed down with lead. Simply keeping his eyes open required a greater amount of concentration than he thought completely necessary. The boxers brushed over the raw wound on the back of his leg and he moaned softly, the injury throbbing suddenly and sending a dull shockwave of pain up to his hip.

Casey's eyes narrowed in concern and he studied Chuck's face carefully. Noticing the pained look that crossed his glassy eyes, the agent looked down at his leg, a stream of fresh blood trickling from the jagged tear. He bit his lip, having almost forgotten about the wound. It definitely needed stitches and Casey was more than capable of doing them but he was hesitant to hurt Chuck further. Still, an unhealthy dose of blood loss wasn't going to do him any good either. Sighing softly, Casey cupped the younger man's face gently, his thumb brushing across Chuck's cheekbone.

"Chuck," He began quietly, keeping his voice soft and soothing. "Your leg needs stitches. Now I can do it, but it might hurt a little bit, okay?" That was a lie; stitches hurt like a bitch.

Chuck made a soft noise in the back of his throat that sounded almost like a whimper and Casey felt his heart shudder a little. He would rather do anything in the world than hurt him again but he knew it needed to be done. After a second, Chuck took a slow breath and nodded. "I trust you…" He whispered, the effort of talking making his voice sound strained.

Casey nodded but kept his hand against the younger man's face for a few more seconds. Chuck unconsciously leaned into the touch, his breath ghosting across Casey's palm. "Chuck…" He said quietly, his voice thick in the back of his throat. "I'm never going to let anything like this happen to you ever again. Do you understand?"

With an effort, Chuck managed to nod, his glassy eyes focused up on the agent. Casey smiled softly and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before standing and disappearing into the hall, pulling a small first aid kit from the hallway closet. He returned and sat on the edge of the bed next to Chuck, taking his leg in his hands gently.

Chuck's skin was still cold from the shower so hopefully it would deaden some of the nerves around the wound as he stitched it closed. He helped the younger man shift into a more comfortable position and covered the rest of his body with the thick comforter. The local anesesthic was applied to the area around the wound an Casey waited for it to kick in before he started. Removing the needle from the package carefully, he looked down at Chuck one last time and squeezed his shoulder gently. "If it hurts, just tell me and I'll stop. Okay?"

The younger man nodded weakly and hid his face in the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Taking a steadying breath, Casey leaned closer so he could see the wound better and carefully slipped the needle into the skin. He worked quickly and carefully, his hands working mechanically from having had to stitch himself up on several occasions. Every once in a while, Chuck's leg would twitch instinctively and he would moan into the pillow, his hands gripped into tight fists in the sheets. Casey would pat his leg gently, whispering soft reassurances under his breath. When the last one was finished, Casey carefully tied off the thread and covered the wound with some gauze to keep it clean. It took sixteen stitches all together but the wound was closed and the blood had stopped so that was all that mattered.

Putting the first aid kit on the bedside table, Casey slid onto the bed next to Chuck and pulled the trembling young man into his arms. Chuck was panting from the pain, his face scrunched in an effort to relax. The agent felt his stomach clench again and wrapped his arms around his back and held him closely, stroking his hair softly as the younger man's breathing returned to a semi-normal rhythm.

For several minutes, neither man said a word, the presence of the other was the only thing they needed. Chuck's hand tangled weakly in Casey's shirt and he blinked slowly, eyes fixed on the dark fabric. "I thought I saw Andrew…" He whispered quietly, voice breaking a little as he said the name.

"What?" Casey looked down and the computer tech, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"I thought I saw him Casey…I thought I saw Andrew…" Chuck took a shuddering breath and shook his head slowly. "But that's not true, right…? I mean he's not real…" His voice was begging, pleading for the answer Casey wasn't sure he could give.

"No, Chuck." The agent answered softly, tightening his hold ever so slightly. "It wasn't real."

A few tears prickled behind his eyes and Chuck looked up, holding Casey's concerned gaze for a few seconds. "Am I real…?" He asked brokenly, the tears trickling down his cheeks. "I don't even know anymore…"

Casey felt his mouth go dry and he swallowed hard, not knowing exactly how to respond. After a second, he brought his mouth right next to the younger man's ear. "Yes, Chuck. You are real; I have no doubt in my mind." His lips brushed across Chuck's temple and he breathed in his scent. "You've been the only thing right in all I've done."

Chuck frowned faintly as something flashed across his mind. "My father…" The younger man's dark eyes filled with tears again and he hid his face, his shoulders shaking a little as the memories flooded back. He remembered the drug, the man who rescued him, and the certainty that it was his dead brother. He remembered finding his father and Casey fighting in the hallway, his father preparing to shoot Casey and the fear he had felt inside at that moment. He remembered pulling the trigger first. Everything came back and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Chuck clung to Casey for dear life, his fists clenched tightly in his shirt as he sobbed.

Casey knew what had happened but there was nothing he could say or do to make it any better. So instead, he held the younger man close, tracing small, directionless patterns into his back. He knew it was going to be tough for Chuck to remember everything but he also knew there was no way to prevent it either. However, both he and Sarah weren't about to let him deal with it alone like he had before. Casey's chest was soaked with Chuck's tears but he didn't care, he just held on.

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**Wow, I think I just gave myself a cavity O.o More fluff to come!!**


	11. Simon

**Hello all!! The song used is called Simon by Lifehouse. I've actually used this song one before in a National Treasure fan fic but I think the music is so beautiful that I simply couldn't keep it away :D Hope you all like it!!**

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It took several minutes before Chuck's sobs subsided and he was left breathless and trembling in Casey's arms. The agent stroked his back gently, whispering softly into the dark curls that were tucked beneath his chin. The younger man's fingers had tangled against his chest in a loose fist and he was staring at Casey's collarbone absently, his eyes blank and hollow.

"Casey…please say something…" Chuck begged quietly, the words quivering a little as the came out.

"What?" The older man was confused, his eyebrows raising slightly as the words filtered through his mind.

"Please just say something…anything…" Chuck's breath hitched for a second and he shook his head quickly to fight back another wave of tears. "I can't deal with the things in my head right now…"

Understanding what he meant, Casey nodded slowly and tightened his hold a little. He thought for a moment, trying to find an appropriate topic that wouldn't upset Chuck and one that could distract the younger man as well. However, years of government work left had left him a little lacking in the small-talk department and he was slightly at a loss. He thought for a few more minutes, his mind bouncing off different topics and categories but always falling just short of his intended goal. Finally, he landed on something, a vague memory he had of his childhood. It was something his mother used to do for him when he was sick and couldn't sleep and he physically swallowed his pride in order to make himself settle on the idea. It didn't take much; Casey was willing to do just about anything for the younger man laying in his arms and pride be damned.

The song was soft, barely a hum at first, the noise vibrating deep in the agent's throat. He hummed quietly, the melody coming back to him after all the years that had passed.

_**Catch your breath, hit the wall, Scream out loud, as you start to crawl  
**__**Back in your cage, the only place Where they will leave you alone.**_

Hearing the deep, soothing melody, Chuck began to relax against Casey's shoulder, his cheek pressing against the warm skin. His grip loosened ever so slightly and he inhaled the warm, familiar scent of the man next to him.

_**Cause the weak will seek the weaker until they've broken them.  
Could you get it back again? Would it be the same?**_

Casey smiled softly as Chuck sighed against him, shifting a little to get more comfortable. His fingers slipped through the dark curls, caressing the back of his head lovingly as he did just like his own mother used to do. Casey kept his voice soft so the song was just barely above a whisper, the lyrics molding themselves into a lullaby as he sang.

_**Fulfillment to their lack of strength at your expense, **__**Left you with no defense; they tore it down.  
**__**And I have felt the same as you, I've felt the same as you, I've felt the same.**_

Protect the Intersect; that's what he had been assigned to do. It was never supposed to be any more than that. So why in the hell was it Chuck who was constantly on his mind and had even had the audacity to invade his dreams recently. Why did he feel his stomach flip uneasily every time he couldn't find Chuck in the store even though he had one of the most highly sophisticated GPS tracking systems hooked onto the younger man at all times? Why did his need to protect him extend beyond the mission?

_**Locked inside **__**The only place where you feel sheltered, Where you feel safe.  
You lost yourself in your search to find Something else to hide behind. **_

The agent wasn't sure when this mission had become so personal or when he had fallen so hard for the computer tech. He had sworn after Ilsa that he would never fall in love while in the field ever again. However, Chuck's contagious innocence and selfless kindness had slowly but surely melted the ice around Casey's heart. God dammit, he was in love with Chuck Bartowski.

_**The fearful always preyed upon your confidence. Did they see the consequence when they pushed you around?  
The arrogant build kingdoms made of the different ones, Breaking them 'til they've become just another crown.**_

Casey could never be sure why Chuck seemed to care for him as well. He certainly hadn't been nice to him for the first year they had known each other and had often insulted and ridiculed him in public to deny to himself that he actually gave a damn what the younger man thought of him. But he certainly wasn't the only one. Chuck had taken a lot of crap during his life between being kicked out of Stanford by his own roommate, being forced to be the Intersect, and having a plethora of assassins, drug runners, and other traitors to the government out to get him, let alone all the shit he had to deal with at the Buy More.

_**And I have felt the same as you,  
I've felt the same as you, I've felt the same.**_

That was a lie; even as the words left his mouth Casey knew that he could never have dealt with all the things Chuck had when he was his age. The younger man had seen things that no eight year old should even have to think about and yet he had managed to become one of the more decent and likeable persons Casey had ever met.

_**Refuse to feel anything at all, Refuse to slip, refuse to fall.  
Can't be weak, can't stand still.  
You watch your back 'cause no one will.**_

Chuck had to learn the hard way that the world is a cruel place and yet he accepted it without so much as a blink. Sure, sometimes he was a bit whiney about being the Intersect but he never failed to come through for them in the end. Most people would have had a complete nervous breakdown had an entire nation of secrets been dumped into the head but Chuck just took it with a grain of salt and went on about his day.

_**You don't know why they had to go this far, Traded your worth for these scars, for your only company.  
And don't believe the lies that they have told to you.  
**__**Not one word was true.  
You're alright, you're alright, you're alright.**_

Casey tightened his hold on the younger man, realizing he had fallen asleep against his shoulder. His lips brushed across Chuck's forehead and he pressed a soft kiss to his hair. Come hell or high water, he was never going to let anything hurt him ever again if he could help it. That was a promise.

_**And I have felt the same as you, I've felt the same as you, I've felt the same.**_

**Happy Holidays everyone!!!**

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	12. Knowing

**Yay!! Hope everyone had a great New Years!! I'm so sorry this took me so long to write...my goodness O.o Anyway, hope you enjoy it!! :D**

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Casey reluctantly left Chuck's side, stepping out of the room and taking a seat on the couch, staring blankly at the off television. He knew that Ellie would be here any minute and if she found the two of them in bed together it would lead to a lot more questions than he was willing to answer at the moment. Besides, the younger man was sleeping peacefully, the drug almost completely out of his system, and Casey figured he could leave him for a little while at least. The prospect of not having the computer tech safely in his arms still bothered him though. He ground his jaw slightly, fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.

Sarah walked by, noticing the nervous fidgeting the other agent was doing and raised an eyebrow. "Casey? You alright?"

The NSA agent looked up and nodded. "Yeah. Everything is fine."

Sarah didn't believe him for a second but refused to push the subject. She knew exactly what was bothering him because she was feeling the same way. She had walked back to the bedroom half a dozen times within the past five minutes to check on the younger man and still felt uneasy about leaving him all alone. In fact, she had a pretty good feeling that Chuck was going to be staying the night over here for quite sometime before Casey was ready to let him out of his sight again.

There was a quick knock on the door followed by Ellie's frantic voice. "Sarah? John? It's Ellie! Please open up!"

Sarah walked over to the door, peaking outside and memorizing the worried face through the window. She had been tricked once before today and wasn't about to let it happen again. Satisfied that it was indeed Ellie, she opened the door and was immediately engulfed in a tight hug. "Oh…hi…" The CIA agent gasped in surprise.

"Oh my God, I came home as fast as I could!" Ellie exclaimed, pulling away and holding Sarah by the shoulders. "Is he alright? Is he feeling better? Should I take him to the hospital?"

Sarah gave her a reassuring smile and shook her head. "Ellie, Chuck is fine. He's asleep in the other room." She had told Ellie that Chuck had gotten sick at work and Casey had taken him home. She thought it better to leave out the part about Chuck being kidnapped and shot up with a potentially lethal drug and shooting their father. For some reason she didn't think that would go over too well.

Ellie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, chewing on her lower lip. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was dressed in a pair of worn jeans and grey long-sleeve t-shirt that had the hospital's logo across the front. She and Devon's plane probably hadn't landed twenty minutes ago and she was already here, nervously fidgeting in the doorway. "Can I see him?"

Sarah smiled and nodded. "Of course." She wrapped her arm around Ellie's shoulders and lead her to the back bedroom, leaving Casey alone in the front room. The agent sighed heavily and stood, stepping outside into the cool night air. He needed a few minutes to clear his head and knew that he would be listening to everything Ellie and Sarah said if he stayed inside. Letting out a slow breath, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, closing his eyes and letting his mind drift.

**OOOOO**

Chuck was sleeping soundly on one side of the bed, his face relaxed and breathing deep and even. Casey had shoved him into a sweatshirt earlier to prevent Ellie from seeing the wounds on his wrist and had made sure that his leg was covered as well. Not that Chuck knew any different, he's been asleep during the wardrobe change.

Ellie walked in and sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers slipping into his dark hair and brushing it away from his face. She check him over, her medical instincts kicking it automatically, but was satisfied to find that whatever had made him sick earlier appeared to be long gone by now. With a sigh of relief, she leaned back and closed her eyes for a second.

Sarah stood by the doorway, giving the two plenty of room but not quite ready to leave yet. She smiled at Ellie's concern and felt relieved that she could be the constant in Chuck's life.

"I knew he wasn't getting enough sleep…" Ellie muttered more to herself than anything, gazing down at her brother as he slept.

"Hmm?" Sarah's interest was peaked and she looked over to the older woman. "Did you say something?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing really." Ellie corrected, smiling a little. "It's just…Chuck's been having nightmares again and I knew it was starting to get to him."

Even though she was pretty sure she knew what the nightmares were about, Sarah faked confusion and raised her eyebrows. "Nightmares? What kind of nightmares?"

Ellie shrugged a little and shook her head. "I'm not sure…he never tells me about them. But I think it may have something to do with Andrew."

Sarah felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of the name and her mouth went dry. "Andrew?" She asked, still maintaining her innocent expression even though her heart was pounding in her chest. "Who's that?"

Ellie looked off for a second, not entirely sure how to answer. "I think he was our younger brother…" She shook her head slowly and laughed quietly. "It's so terrible but up until a few years ago I had no idea who he was…"

"How did you find out about him?" Sarah asked quietly, not sure why she was whispering.

"Well, when Chuck left for Stanford I was cleaning out his closet and found this old shoebox that had a handful of all this old stuff he'd kept over the years. You know, concert tickets, random valentines cards, that sort of thing." Ellie faded off and looked back down at Chuck. "But then at the very bottom of the box there was this picture of us. I recognized myself and Chuck but not the other boy in the picture. When I flipped it over there was a little note on the back that said Ellie, Chuck, and Andrew and something just clicked…"

"How much do you remember?"

Ellie shook her head again, her hair falling across her eyes. "Not much, in fact I can't remember almost anything about him but I know something terrible must have happened."

"Why?" Sarah swallowed hard, glad that Chuck was still asleep and hadn't heard any of this.

Ellie was silent for a minute, contemplating the question. "I was in a car accident when I was younger and ended up in a coma for like a week or so so I don't really remember anything from before then but I know Chuck did. He used to wake up crying every night, scared out of his mind, but he would never tell me what was wrong, only that he'd had a bad dream. I never pressed the issue, feeling he might be having dreams about our mom, but then one night I heard him say the name Andrew in his sleep and I knew there had to be something to it…" Ellie shook her head, a sad look crossing her face. "Sarah, I don't know what happened to Andrew or if the car accident was real or not; something tells me it wasn't and that something far worse happened. But Chuck tried so hard to keep me from finding out, to protect me from whatever had occurred…I can't imagine what he's been through…"

Sarah frowned, knowing all too well what had really happened that night. She walked over and placed a comforting hand on Ellie's shoulder, smiling softly at her. "Ellie, Chuck is much stronger than a lot of us give him credit for and he chose to be strong for you."

Ellie gave Sarah a small smile in return and wiped a few unshed tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I know, but I'm still his older sister; I should have been able to protect them both…" She sighed and scrubbed at her face for a second before looking back down at Chuck. "Would you mind if I let him sleep here tonight? He's usually such a fitful sleeper anyway, I'd hate to wake him up…"

Sarah smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course he can stay here, I'm sure Casey wouldn't mind." That was an understatement; Casey was probably about a split second away from tying the younger man to the bed. Sarah blushed at the image and stepped back as Ellie stood up. She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and followed Sarah out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Ellie fished her keys out of her pocket and gave Sarah a tired smile. "Guess I should go tell Devon that Chuck's okay, he was pretty worried as well." She smiled but hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob. "Hey Sarah…?"

"Yeah?" The agent answered, tensing unconsciously at the unusual tone in Ellie's voice. It sounded almost as if she was afraid to ask whatever it was that she started out with. "What is it?"

The older woman hesitated for a split second before continuing. "Sarah listen, I know that you're more than just a server at the Orange Orange and that Casey isn't just an employee at the But More…" She stopped before continuing and Sarah's heart once again began to pound. "I don't really know what kind of organization you two are involved in but I know that Chuck is mixed up with it now too…"

"Ellie, I-" Sarah tried to interject but Ellie simply smiled softly and shook her head.

"It's okay, I trust you and Casey but just do me a favor and watch out for him, okay? Chuck has a bad habit of throwing himself into things without thinking first." Ellie laughed softly and glanced back toward the bedroom, taking a slow breath. She looked back at Sarah's startled expression and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Please just keep him safe…I can't lose another brother…"

Seeing the hesitant nod of the younger woman, Ellie smiled and opened the door, stepping out into the courtyard and disappearing around the corner to her house. Sarah watched her go, not entirely sure what to say but know she now had to keep that promise more than ever.

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**Jazz hands! Okay, last chapter is coming up after this!!**


	13. Possession

**Yay!! Thank you all so much for joining me for this story, I'm so glad you all liked it!! :D Okay, just so you know, I really suck at writing sex scenes so if this is kinda crappy I'm really sorry O.o I tried to make it steamy without being overly explicit. Also, I originally wanted the sex scene to be in the shower cause...well just cause (hehe) but Chuck wasn't nearly lucid enough for that so I moved it. Hope you all like it!!**_

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_DeWitt stepped forward slowly, his gun trained expertly on every move the agent made. He absently brushed the dust from his suit jacket and leveled the gun on Casey's forehead. "Well, this has all been incredibly entertaining but I'm tired of the games." He popped his neck and looked back at his target. "Any last words?"_

"_Go fuck yourself." Casey snarled, his eyes murderous as he glared at DeWitt._

"_Such language…" The older man scolded lightly, pulling the trigger._

_Blood splattered across the white walls, dripping down in long, crimson streams that pooled onto the floor like a macabre paint spill. Casey slumped forward, his eyes still fixed open and staring blankly at the blood-stained ground. The whole back side of his head was shredded, missing from the force of the bullet. His gun lay useless in his hand, cold fingers limp and motionless on the slick metal._

_There was a soft gasp as Sarah rounded the corner, her blue eyes widening at the sight of the fallen agent. She ran toward him, completely unable to miss the bullet that slammed into her chest. She toppled backwards, blood spurting from the wound and gushing down the front of her shirt. Sarah winced, curling onto her side and convulsing once before going still as well._

_DeWitt smiled darkly, turning to face him. "Nothing left now." He grinned and loaded another bullet into the chamber. "You're all alone…and its all your fault…" The chamber slipped back into its place and the pistol was centered on his chest. "Ah well, se la vie."_

_He didn't even have time to blink as the bullet ripped through his chest._

Chuck jolted upright, a gasp forming in the back of his throat.

"Whoa, easy tiger." A soft voice soothed from somewhere behind him, a warm arm wrapping across his chest and easing him backward.

The younger man turned, his eyes meeting the worried face of John Casey. The agent was leaned back against the headboard, his clothes rumpled and hair slightly mussed from having apparently been asleep. Now, however, he was wide awake and watching the computer tech with concerned, dark eyes. "You alright?"

Chuck allowed himself to fall back against the agent's shoulder, his breathing still harsh and ragged from the dream. He nodded slowly, tucking his head under Casey's jaw and inhaling deeply, relaxing in the other man's scent. "Yeah…" He answered hesitantly, his voice still a little raw. "Just a bad dream…"

Casey's fingers slipped into his hair, brushing it away from his face, and he shifted a little so they were both more comfortable. "You want to talk about it?" Years of training had made him sound more nonchalant than he meant it to be and he groaned inwardly at himself.

The younger man shook his head slightly after a second and his face in the agent's shoulder. "It was my dad again…" He mumbled softly, keeping his face hidden. "I'm sorry…I just-" He was cut off as Casey's hand slipped below his chin and lifted his head gently.

"Chuck, listen to me alright?" Casey said slowly, looking the computer tech directly in the eye. "I don't want you to ever think about that man again. Do you understand?" He kept his voice gentle and soothing, hoping Chuck wouldn't think he was angry with him. "What he did was unforgivable and I want you to put him as far away from your thoughts as you possibly can, okay?"

There was a hesitant nod as Chuck looked up at him and Casey felt his walls begin to crumble. He had held back for so long and now he wasn't sure he could do it anymore. Slowly, almost as if he were unsure of the movement, Casey ducked his head and captured Chuck's lips in the lightest brush of a kiss. It lasted for only a second, the sensation sending shockwaves through his body before he pulled away.

The computer tech blinked up at him, brown eyes widen and slightly confused and for a terrifying second, Casey thought he had just crossed a line. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then Chuck pressed himself tightly to the agent's chest, kissing him hard. It was fevered, desperate and almost more than Casey could take. He crushed the younger man against him, kissing every inch of skin he could get access to. His teeth grazed Chuck's collarbone and the elicited gasp of pleasure caused him to shiver.

Chuck shifted, fingers digging deeply into Casey's shoulder, and closed his eyes as the agent's rough, calloused hands explored body thoroughly.

Casey's hand traced the boney outline of Chuck's hip and the younger man groaned softly into his shoulder. In one swift movement, he looped an arm around Chuck's back and rolled him onto the bed, capturing his mouth again. Chuck was intoxicating; his skin, his lips, everything about him threatened to send Casey over the edge it took every ounce of control he had not to take every inch of him right then and there.

Chuck shifted again, pressing himself harder against the solidity of the agent's body and gasped as the older man all too eagerly complied. The agent pulled him impossibly closer, his hands claiming and possessing him entirely.

Casey shuddered as Chuck breathed his name into his mouth; it had to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. The younger man trembled against him, squeezing his eyes shut and gasping his name once again. He could feel Chuck's heart pounding against his shoulder, the way his body curled around him and giving himself to him completely. He shuddered once and exhaled, pulling the younger man to his chest and holding him gently.

Chuck was still trembling slightly, his breathing coming out in shuddering gasps but he smiled at Casey warmly. The agent returned the smile, his thumb brushing across the flushed cheeks and cupping his face softly. He wrapped his arms around Chuck's back, fingers running through his hair as they lay panting and out of breath in the middle of the bed.

Finally, after a few minutes, Chuck scooted up to where he was laying his head in the crook of Casey's neck and sighed softly. He hand splayed across the agent's chest, fingers contracting slightly as Casey breathed. He frowned a little, snuggling a little deeper into his shoulder and letting out a breath.

"What's wrong?"

The question caught him off guard and Chuck glanced up slowly. "What if I dream about him…?" He asked hesitantly, afraid of what the answer might be.

Casey simply tightened his arms across Chuck's back and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Then I guess I'll just have to stay with you at night to make sure I can fight him off there as well." He hoped the younger man understood what he was insinuating and was pleasantly relieved to see Chuck smile warmly up at him.

A sudden drowsiness fell over both of them and Casey pulled the blankets up around Chuck's shoulders, keeping his arms draped around his back as well. He carded his fingers through the dark curls, hands tracing down his back through the blankets.

"Casey…?" The voice was soft, fatigue already setting in.

"Yeah?"

"Stay with me?"

A genuine smile crossed the agent's face and he kissed the younger man tenderly. "Always."

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**Wooo!! Hope to see you all soon!!! Lots of love!!  
-Layla**


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